Mother and grandmother drown saving boy, 5, from reservoir in Palencia, northern Spain

The mother and grandmother of a five-year-old boy have drowned after trying to aid him when he got into difficulties in a Spanish dam during a family day out.

The two women jumped into the water after a current started taking the youngster away from the shoreline as he played on a small paddle board.

First his 32-year-old mum and then his 52-year-old grandmother are said to have tried to rescue him.

Local fisherman discovered the child holding onto a tree trunk and raised the alarm so he could be taken to hospital for a check-up.

He was found in the same area as his mum’s body. The boy’s uncle was also taken to hospital after suffering a panic attack.

The horror incident happened around 6.30pm yesterday at a dam in the small village of Baños de Cerrato in the northern Spanish province of Palencia.

A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency response coordination centre said, initially reporting the child was three although his age was later given as five: “A 112 call was received reporting that a three-year-old child was drowning at the Baños de Cerrato dam, in Venta de Baños in Palencia.

“The caller said there was a person trying to pull the child out of the water who was unable to do so.

“Firefighters, the Civil Guard and emergency health responders were mobilised.

“Later, during a follow-up alert, the caller reported the child had been pulled from the water and that two adult women had died.

“Emergency services at the scene confirmed the deaths of the two women and reported that the child was safe.”

He added: “The Civil Protection and Emergencies Agency of the Regional Government of Castille and Leon activated the Disaster and Emergency Psychological Intervention Group (GRIPDE) and deployed it to the scene."

Eduardo Santiago, a central government representative for the area, said: “This is a terrible tragedy which has shocked the province.

“I would like to express my condolences and affection to the families and loved ones of the victims during this time of immense pain.”

It is not yet clear if the family involved lived locally or had travelled from further afield to enjoy the Sunday sunshine.

Banos de Cerrato forms part of the municipality of Venta de Banos and lies just south of Palencia, a city in the autonomous community of Castille and Leon a three-hour drive north-west of Madrid.